Issue date: 10/13/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Eric So far there are two locations in Cedar City to serve drivers with cars that run on natural gas. Natural gas burns cleaner than regular unleaded gasoline, reducing pollution, said Mat Carlile, energy program coordinator for the Utah Division of Air Quality.

As gasoline prices and air pollution have increased, so has the interest in cleaner burning fuels such as natural gas, prompting the state of Utah to offer tax incentives to owners of clean-fuel burning vehicles.

Mat Carlile, the Energy Program coordinator for the Utah Division of Air Quality, said from his standpoint, the tax incentives are primarily meant to help control air pollution.

"It encourages people to look for alternatives (to gasoline)," he said. "In the statute it indicates that the purpose of it is to give people an incentive to find cleaner-burning fuels and vehicles that run on clean-burning fuels."

While air pollution is not as much of a problem in southern Utah, it could soon become one, Carlile said.

"As far as air pollution standpoint, it's a way for people to contribute to minimizing the impact of the air pollution problems we have in this state," he said. "The problems we have are mostly in the north … but as it grows more and more in the south, we want to keep the air clean."

Although preventing air pollution is an important reason for people to use clean-burning fuels, it is not the only reason, Carlile said.

"Other people are looking at the cost savings with natural gas fuel," he said. "It's also helping them in the pocketbook."

Steve Gray, a Cedar City resident, said his vehicle does not qualify for tax credit, but he is in the process of converting to natural gas to save on fuel costs. Natural gas costs approximately 86 cents per gallon, versus the variable price of $3.50 for unleaded gasoline, he said.

One difference between natural gas and gasoline is the state of matter in which it enters the fuel tank, Gray said.

"(Natural gas) is not a liquid gas like gasoline," he said. "You're using a compressed gas. You know how you get propane for your barbecue and it comes in those little tanks? You have much, much larger tanks in your car somewhere, usually in the trunk or the back somewhere and you fill it up with compressed gas."

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